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Modern Solentian History, 2400-3000
Modern Solentian History, 2400-3000 is an abridged introduction to Solentia during the modern era by Dr. Michael Newman, Professor of History at the National University of Halion and Dr. Gregory Bieler, Professor of Public Administration at George Bailen University. It is an inclusive work, massive in its scope, begun in 3062. __TOC__ ='Modern Solentian History, 2400-3000'= An Abridged Introduction to the Federal Republic Michael Newman, PhD. Gregory Bieler, PhD. 1st edition, © National University of Halion Publishing, 3064 'About the authors' Dr. Michael Newman, PhD., is Professor of History at the National University of Halion. He was born in Alya, Nukeya, on May 5, 2991. He received his B.A. in History from Alya City College in 3013, his M.A. in History from the National University of Halion in 3014, and his PhD. in History from NUH in 3016. He became an assistant professor of History at his grad school alma mater in 3016, was promoted to associate professor in 3022, and full professor in 3026. He has held this position since, and at 71 is considering retirement in the near future. He has written extensively for several publications, and published a range of full length books. He lives in Halion with his wife of 46 years, Ashley. He has two children, Henry and Ariel, who have blessed Dr. Newman with four grandchildren between the two of them. Dr. Gregory Bieler, PhD., is Professor of Public Administration at George Bailen University. He was born in Rhegium, Fuwan, on July 9, 3006. He received his B.A. in Public Administration from Rhegium State University in 3029, his M.A. in Public Administration from RSU in 3031, and his PhD. in Public Administration from George Bailen University in 3033. He was elected to Rhegium City Council in 3032, a position he served in until 3038. He was then elected as mayor of Rhegium as one of its youngest in history, serving until 3046. He ran for governor of Fuwan in 3050 after taking a brief leave from politics, winning the race and serving two terms through 3058. Since then, he has worked as director of the Fuwan Historical Bureau, a state agency established by Bieler during his years as governor, and has authored a series of books about Fuwan politics. He lives in Rhegium unmarried without children. 'Authors' prefaces and thanks' Preface and thanks by Dr. Newman In 3060, I was approached by a close friend of mine, Dr. Gregory Bieler, who suggested that a comprehensive modern history of Solentia was regrettably impossible to find. The histories available to the world on Solentia were remarkably outdated, and the few attempts at modern history there were were unworkably narrow in scope. With his encouragement, we set ourselves to the task of documenting an inclusive history of Solentia during the modern era. I went into the project with an idea of the amount of work it would take to complete to my satisfaction, but soon realized that even my estimates were low. The tome in your hands now consumed a massive amount of time and effort on the part of myself, Gregory, our families, our friends, and our editors. Fortunately, these people were infinitely patient with us during the researching, writing, and publishing processes. Without their help, this work would not have come to fruition. Thank you Greg for the inspiration and all your hard work.. To my family, your words of encouragement and solidarity in times of frustration were indefinably helpful to me. To my wife, Ashley, thank you, I love you forever. To the National University of Halion Publishing, I thank you for your editorial work. Any errors of note in this publication remain our fault, as the tireless work of our editors and reviewers was thorough and indefatigable. Thank you to you as well, reader. I hope that you enjoy the material we have written. We find the modern history of Solentia to be captivating, and I hope that our passion for the nation and its politics may be channeled to you as you read. Michael J. Newman, PhD., April 3064. Preface and thanks by Dr. Bieler 'Pre-Republican era (2390 - 2400)' Solentia before the Federal Republic is an entity shrouded in mystery to most modern Solentians. This is primarily due to a lack of modern government interest in the era. The Federal Republic and its predecessors are considered completely and entirely separate entities, and references to the history of Solentia prior to 2400 are uncommon in government legislature and debate. In 2390, the People's Party for Salvation of Solentia was formed, whose mission was, in their own words, "to oppose the Totalitarian Regime that was governing Solentia." This is a reference to the experiments with Nuncirism, Panterranism, and Archonism that took place in Solentia between 2344 and 2393, until Mobotu Pashtun I of the PPSS, was elected Praetor. The PPSS brought an interesting blend of communism and Majatran nationalism to Solentia during its unchallenged rule in the early 2390s. In 2394, the party pushed through the New Arab Era of Majatra Act I which styled the nation as the 'Arab Empire of Solentia,' did away with naming conventions left over from the Nuncirist era in favor of communist styled title and cities, and empowered an Arab monarch. In 2393, the Xzarin Catholic Party was formed as an opposition to the hegemony of the PPSS. The two parties clashed quickly due to PPSS obstruction of XCP legislation, a strategy designed to keep the XCP out of government. In September 2394, the PPSS passed 'To Ensure the Revolution I,' which severely limited the amount of proposals minority parties could legislate upon each year, essentially locking the XCP out of Halion. By 2397, tensions between the two parties had eased as the PPSS became the Communist Party of Solentia and put the finishing touches on their revolution. The CPS and the XCP collaborated on the renaming of the nation to the 'Solentian Socialist Republic' in June 2397, the Communists raised the amount of proposals allowed each year, and the Revolutionary Socialist Act I and Revolutionary Socialist Act II in May 2398 democratized Solentia's government, changed the flag, and renamed the nation once more to the 'People's Republic of Solentia.' This democratization of the Communist Party's formerly exclusive government proved to be the party's downfall. The election of December 2399 saw the Xzarin Catholic Party gain control of 2/3rds of the National Assembly and embark upon a prolific redefinition of Solentian government. Sometime between October and November of 2400, the Communist Party of Solentia dissolved and was no more. 'Transition to Federal Republic (2400 - 2410)' Empowered by their new found singular control of Solentian government after 2399, the Xzarin Catholic Party undertook to redefine the nation. The passage of Democracy Implementation in September 2400 allowed government to legislate more, effectively doubling the amount of legislation possible each year. This was a far cry from 'To Ensure the Revolution I' of six years prior, which allowed only one proposal a year. The Democratic Leadership Law of October 2400 did away with the monarchy, renamed the National Assembly to the Council of the Elite, and the Head of State Amendment Act and Head of Government Amendment Acts established the new offices with the titles of 'Supreme Archbishop' and 'Elite Warden,' whose significance would be only truly recognized in the years to come. These acts are indicative of the Xzarin Church's involvement in the post-Communist era. With the passage of the State Religion Act: Xzarin Catholicism, the role of the Church was recognized formally in the XCP's plans for Solentia. The totality of the XCP's assault on all the vestiges of Communist rule was impressive. Within a year of the collapse of the CPS, the administrative structure of Solentia had been transformed to support an emerging Xzarin Catholic theocracy. In the early years of its rule, the XCP was joined by the Imperialistic Socialist Democratic Party and the Centrist Party. Each of these parties cooperated well with the XCP majority and over time the Party Interactive Organization was created to endorse one united candidate for the Supreme Archbishopry, to cooperate on the creation of executive cabinets, and to oppose any return of communism or nuncirism to Solentia. In these objectives, they proved successful; fighting back a Nuncirist movement between 2401 and 2403, supporting the influential Father George Bailen through four elections, and developing a remarkably large welfare state with little conflict, exemplified by the Budget Revitalization Act passed in 2405 which effectively increased Health and Social Services spending by 350 times and Education and Culture spending by 400 times. The tone in the early years of 2400 was one of establishment. Once a Xzarin state was established by the PIO, the focus of the Solentian government turned to fighting nuncirism across Terra. The Ratification of the Solentian-Wantuni Friendship Pact under the direction of Supreme Archbishop Bailen and Foreign Minister Mathen Yeryll in 2406 solidified a formal friendship between Solentia and its western neighbor, which had been the victim of Solentian aggression during the Nuncirist era in the 2300s. Supreme Archbishop Bailen also began the dismantling of the developing theocracy before it became entrenched. The New Legislature Act renamed the Council of the Elite to Senate, the New Executive Title Act reformed the Supreme Archbishopry to a Supreme Presidency, and the New Legislative Representative Act created the Senate Warden from the Elite Warden. In October 2406, Father George Bailen became the first Supreme President of the People's Republic of Solentia. In October 2407, the PIO pushed the Federal Republic of Solentia through Senate unanimously, officially renaming the nation to become the Federal Republic of Solentia. The arrival of the Real Party in 2406, however, signaled the end of the PIO's unchallenged welfare state. Perhaps the most frustrating property of the Real Party to the PIO establishment was their success in spite of their ostracization. The PIO viewed a rash of new parties as threatening and so passed the War on Terror Initiation which tellingly was a "declaration of war on terrorism conducted by any organizational entity, be it domestic or international." The Xzarin Catholic Party would soon reform to become the Anti-Terrorist Initiative Party. In 2410, the Real Party became Solentia's largest party and Richard Train became Solentia's second Supreme President. The dominance of the Real Party lasted through three elections until 2418, signalling the downfall of the leftist Party Interactive Organization and a swing to the right in Solentian politics. The ISDP and CP fell to inactivity and the ATIP was the only remnant of the transition years. 'The uncertain fate of the fledgling Federal Republic (2410 - 2420)' With the evaporation of the Imperialistic Socialist Democratic Party and the Centrist Party, the ailing Anti-Terrorist Initiative Party was left to its own devices to serve as the opposition in an increasingly hostile political environment. The introduction of the simply named bill Proposals by the ATIP and its PIO allies in 2407 eventually worked in a regressive fashion for the former government leader, effectively entrenching the Real Party in Halion for an extended term of office. Communication between parties in the years following Supreme President Richard Train's election proved sparse. The success of the Socialists in their ability to make a breakthrough in Solentian politics despite the pressure by the previous government in the War on Terror served as a new starting point for leftist politics in the country. As the Socialists made gains in the leftist spectrum, the powerful base of the ATIP disintegrated while the Real Party continued to capitalize off the lack of a real conservative laissez-faire party, leading it to capture 54 seats in the Senate election of 2410. In the years throughout this time of political volatility, the Conservative Party of Solentia made its breakthrough. Bringing a platform of conservative politics to a nation shrouded in liberalism, many expected the party to work well with the Real Party. The party, led by leader Kevin Sunderland, quarreled with the ATIP and the PIO-led government early on, denying allegations of "terrorist" sympathies and accusing the government of "despotism". Ironically, the CPS would later find itself to be a leading partner in an alliance with the ATIP's successor, the Federal Independent Party. In addition to the emergence of the CPS in 2409, the Solentia Social Democratic Party (which would eventually transform into the Revolutionary Party of the Proletariat) began a career in Halion, aligning itself with the left-most brand of Solentian politics. The presence of the SSDP made for competition with the Socialists, eventually contributing to the downfall of the party. The Federal Independent Party was born from the ashes of the ATIP immediately after its predecessor's dismal electoral showing and would continue onward under a combination of old party veterans and new upstarts. Other players in the political arena would in time include the Solentia Labor Party and the Independent Party, a reborn Centrist Party from the PIO years. Indeed, the years after the political earthquake of 2410 would lay the groundwork for a markedly different electoral landscape. The single party rule by the Real Party excluded the remaining parties in Solentia, with Richard Train selecting a cabinet comprised entirely of ministers from his own party. The decision by Train to break with the tradition of including every democratic party in the cabinet, a policy advocated by the Bailen administration, further intensified the political climate. This propelled his government into action with little resistance along the way, resulting in a slew of reforms keen on curbing the welfare state the Federal Republic had become. The Train Administration oversaw a dramatic cut in taxes across the board, including the income tax bracket, corporate, luxury, and sales taxes, and the trimming of over a quarter of the Federal Budget. However, with the dawn of 2414, Solentian voters turned out en masse to participate in what was largely seen as a referendum on the Train Administration and Real Party government. With roughly 84% of the eligible electorate turning out to vote, the Real Party's dominant presence in the Senate waned to 47 seats, with all established contenders in the race seeing gains. Combined, the Socialists, Federal Independent Party, and Conservative Party of Solentia took control of 53 seats in the Senate, allowing for reforms contrary to the Real Party's agenda to pass. The years after the 2414 election proved to be a period of consensus building among parties, particularly the Conservative Party of Solentia and the Federal Independent Party. Influential CPS Inner-Party Leader Kevin Sunderland and FIP Senator Thiris Steton would contribute significantly to the strong bond between the two parties, with the Federal Independent Party backing Kevin Sunderland for the Supreme Presidency. The two parties worked increasingly well with one another, compromising on key legislation and pledging to cooperate in electoral campaigns. A speech by FIP Minority Leader Steton during debate of the Economic Reform of 2418 exemplifies the commitment to a climate of positive communication within the Senate typical of this coalition. By 2418, the country was on course for a fresh election, largely seen as an opportunity for the Real Party to restore its mandate. Though the Real Party had lost its ability to rule solely on its own as of the general election of 2414, it remained a political heavy weight with nearly half of the seats in the Senate under its control. Though the FIP-CPS alliance united the two parties, the Socialists remained out of the caucus, causing a potential majority to become fractured. This reduced the efficiency of the majority to pass legislation successfully, with only four bills passing in four years. A Real Party comeback was not to be, however, with the party sustaining further losses in the general election of 2418. Supreme President Richard Train was barely handed over a third term, managing to beat out Federal Independent Dennis Kucik by less than a percent of the vote. Additionally, his party continued to slip in the polls with the Socialists, Federal Independents, and Conservatives all making notable gains. Before the political arena could even fully set in, however, a snap election was held in 2419, supported by the FIP-CPS alliance. The result was the returning of the former ATIP political machine to power with Federal Independent Dennis Kucik landing himself in the Supreme Presidential mansion, along with an increased FIP-CPS majority in the Senate. The new government wasted no time, with one of its first acts being to shorten the term of federal office from four to three years with the passage of the Solentian Incumbency Term act. Supreme President Dennis Kucik selected his first cabinet, naming Kevin Sunderland as his Senate Warden in the Cabinet of 2419. Kucik's selection included the Revolutionary Party of the Proletariat, formerly the SSDP, which would lay the foundation for a multi-ideological government. Also prevalent in the early years of the new government's first term was its successes in withdrawing from several of its international affiliations and treaties, a process which began with the CPS' Reform Act of 2419. The legislation included tax hikes as well, seen as a necessity by the new government to boost the nation's finances after the low-budget policies of the Train Administration. In a relatively short period of time, the Kucik Administration made much headway in changing what it and its supporters digressed with from the Train years. The new government consisted of a triumvirate of schools of though, with a conservative, independent/centrist, and social democratic party at the helm of Solentia. This stood in marked contrast to the strictly conservative Train Administration. The first year of Kucik's Administration also began a tradition in Solentian politics in which the Supreme President names a member of another party as his Senate Warden as an extension of friendship and bi-partisanship. The decade concluded in a dramatically different direction that it had been born into, with the political scene being effectively reversed. The Federal Independent Party enjoyed the beginnings of what would be years as a political powerhouse, and the arrival of the Conservative Party of Solentia as a full-fledged political contender would transform the nation into something completely unpredictable. The War on Terror waged in the early 2400's was largely dismissed or ignored by many, with it becoming a forgotten issue in the minds of many Solentians. Despite its magnitude and level of national priority at the beginning of the decade, it faded from significance in the following years. 'A bright future wasted (2420 - 2430)' If the 2410's began on a dark note with the War on Terror and ended brightly with the close cooperation of the Federal Independent Party and the Conservative Party of Solentia, the 2420's were their opposite. The decade could not have begun in a more positive manner or unfolded more discordantly. The Cabinet Proposal of September 2419 was truly the beginning of a drastic shift in the tone of Solentian politics, though the full weight of its importance would not be felt until 2422. Following an early election in April 2419, newly elected FIP Supreme President Dennis Kukic named his tripartisan cabinet with the support of 57% of the Senate. Unbeknown to him, this cabinet would herald the arrival of one of the most controversial politicians in the history of the Federal Republic. This politician was a young and aggressive woman from Adion, Orame, Julia Taylor. Taylor was the realization of everything that Kevin Sunderland was not. She was a radical conservative, advocating for a massive increase in the size and power of the military. Though she was distanced by the moderate leadership of the CPS in the early part of her career, her popularity with the far right was unquestionable. She rode upon the tide of this popularity and became Defense Minister of Solentia during the first Kukic administration in 2419. Her policies clashed with the mainstream of the FIP administration, but her fire was held in check by Sunderland's moderate experience. In 2421, her support was announced for an FIP bill which revolutionized the unconventional capabilities of the Solentian military, but she remained a minor figure in politics otherwise. In August, 2422, everything changed. Kevin Sunderland and another high ranking CPS official were in transit between Halion and Olinthus, Shinatawa, when their limousine was hit at high speed by a truck and sent careening into the dividing wall. Both Sunderland and the other official were declared dead on arrival and the FIP lost its most valuable ally in the CPS. Julia Taylor stepped into the void created by Sunderland's death. Immediately after the crash Taylor spoke to news outlets claiming that Sunderland's death was a potential turning point for the party. She claimed that the FIP-CPS coalition forged under the guidance of Sunderland, though once beneficial, was now a means for manipulation on the part of the Federal Independent leadership. She advocated that ties between the two parties must be cut and the CPS must embrace her more radical conservative politics. Ever popular and now without the moderating influence of Kevin Sunderland, Julia Taylor was elected Inner-Party Leader of the CPS. Justifiably alarmed by the sudden turn of events, the FIP and the Kukic administration made immediate preparations to sever ties with the rogue politician. The Cabinet Proposal of March 2423 sought to remove Minister Taylor from her position, an action which she met with sharp reprisal, stating that: "Due to the FIP's lack of respect, the CPS will not support any government coalition which does not give the CPS its due seats, INCLUDING the office of Defense Minister." FIP Majority Whip George Gereg responded by asking: "Has the CPS gone mad? It is still widely involved in the cabinet, it has merely been given a seat that Mr. Kucik obviously feels it will work better in than its former incumbent position of Defense. The CPS should learn to pick its representatives better and perhaps have a recall election for it's party leadership..." With the support of the SSDP and the Real Party, Julia Taylor's party was able to vote down acceptance of the cabinet 51 - 49, and she remained Defense Minister until July 2424 when Supreme President Kukic was able to negotiate acceptance of the Supreme Presidential Cabinet 2423 - 2425 with the SSDP, an act which only served to "further the divide between the FIP and CPS," according to Taylor. In spite of the FIP's best efforts, the election of 2425 saw incumbent Supreme President Kukic flounder in the first round without the support of their former Conservative allies. The abundance of leftist parties on the ticket split the vote and allowed two conservatives, Julia Taylor and the Real Party's former Supreme President Richard Train to continue to the second round, where Julia Taylor became the fourth Supreme President of Solentia with nearly 42,000,000 votes. The CPS had the strongest showing of any party in the Senate as well, gaining 15 seats and becoming the majority party. In what many believe to be a thumbing of the nose at the outgoing Kukic administration, Supreme President Taylor's first cabinet proposal included FIP and IP ministers. Needless to say, these parties refused to work with the controversial Supreme President, and the Revised Cabinet of March 2426 passed with a vote of 100 - 75, comprised of ministers from the CPS, SSDP, Civic Committee and the Solentian Labor Party. The Taylor administration proved itself to be too unilateral to be successful in Solentian politics, but it remained a thorn in the side for FIP leadership into the next decade. CPS abandonment of bipartisanship burned bridges with most parties in Halion, and the election of 2428 saw Taylor ousted from the Supreme Presidency in spite of massive gains for the CPS in the Senate. Federal Independent Party Majority Leader Michael Bailen (son of Father George Bailen) united the disapproving parties of Solentia and was elected over Taylor in the second round, propelled by endorsements from the influential SSDP and the IP. Bailen attempted to pull this victory into cabinet politics, extending an offering of peace to the ostracized Conservative Party as an attempt at what Bailen termed "unity." In this cabinet, the CPS was offered a number of seats, including their prized Defense Ministry. Led by Taylor, they roundly dismissed the Supreme President's offer without offering reasoning, an action described as "immature and useless" by IP leader Jack Carver. In spite of the set back, Supreme President Bailen pressed on. The Cabinet Proposal of February 2429 eliminated the CPS entirely from the cabinet and was once again opposed by Julia Taylor. Urged by the SSDP to explain herself, Julia Taylor dismissed the choice of the Real Party for Defense Minister as hypocrisy: "The proposed cabinet is a work around, and there is no denying it. Rather than attempting to debate with my party, Mr. Bailen has allowed a party which HE once labeled terrorist to seize some of Solentia's most important positions. I have no idea what Mr. Bailen has against the Civic Committee, but even THEY, inexperienced as they are, would be a better choice for the defense of Solentia." FIP Minority Leader Hugh Bieler responded passionately: "Miss Taylor, you have officially ruined relations with this party. You have burnt them down to the ground over and over while party leaders like Mr. Bailen have tried to heal any damage done or any misunderstandings that have taken place. But you are so maliciously evil that you strike these gestures of good will down, and now you have created a greater rift in the Senate body than you could ever have hoped for. FIP has taken the initiative time after time to regain relations and end all partisan bickering. You have done nothing but prevent this. If the Conservative Party wishes to ever have good relations with this party in the future, Miss Taylor must be evicted from her party. If Conservative Senators know what is good for them, they will take control of this situation by emplacing leadership in their party that won't run the party off of hatred and malicious politics. If the CPS ever wants to build the bridge it just burned with FIP, it will have to start the process." The Real Party opposed and caused the cabinet to fail, an indication of how desperate the FIP had become to forge a working government in spite of Julia Taylor's opposition. Almost as an afterthought, the National Anthem of Solentia was declared to be "O Noble Solentia" in 2424. It is easy to see the tragedy of the 2420s when one considers how drastically different events could have come to pass had one piece of the puzzle fallen differently. Had Julia Taylor never been given her break in the cabinet of 2419, had Kevin Sunderland's limosuine left Halion five minutes sooner, how would the events of the decade have unfolded? Would Sunderland's experience have proved enough to keep Taylor's radicalism in check over the long term, or was her rise inevitable whether Sunderland was present or not? Regardless, events transpired in the way that they did and the high hopes for FIP-CPS coalitions coming into the decade seemed a thousand years prior by 2430. With the failure of cabinet politics and Julia Taylor's controversial but effective politicking, Solentia finished the decade with a cabinet implemented and unchanged since 2425, and a bleak outlook unprecedented even during the Real Party's dominance. Surely the 2430s would be definitive years for the still struggling Federal Republic.